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Big changes at Toronto’s ballot box? Your questions answered

After Toronto city council supported a pair of motions that call for sweeping changes to the city’s election rules, all eyes are on the province, which must decide whether — and how — to put the ideas in place.

On Wednesday, Premier Kathleen Wynne said she would consider the city’s requests to extend voting rights to permanent residents and adopt a system of ranked choice balloting.

“I think that in a city as diverse as Toronto, looking at ways of engaging people in the democratic process … is very, very important,” she said.

Here is a primer on the proposals, and how they stand to change the political landscape.

Why ranked-choice ballots?

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Q: What is ranked choice balloting?

A: Under the current system, known as “first past the post,” the candidate with the highest number of votes wins. To win an election with ranked balloting, however, the candidate must receive a true majority of votes. Voters have the option of choosing one favourite candidate or ranking their top three picks in order of preference. The winner is determined through a series of “instant run offs.”

Q: How does ranked balloting work?

A: First-place votes are counted, and if a candidate nets a majority — 50 per cent plus one — she wins. If not, the least popular candidate (or several candidates, depending on the agreed rules) is cut, and the second-choice votes of her supporters are transferred to the remaining candidates. The run-offs continue until someone achieves a majority.

Q: Where else is ranked balloting in place?

A: Ranked ballots are used in mayoral and other municipal elections in a several U.S. cities and overseas, including San Francisco; Memphis, Tenn.; Wellington, New Zealand; and London, England. Canadians may recognize this system from political party leadership conventions, but Toronto would be the first jurisdiction in the country to adopt it.

Q: What are the arguments for and against it?

A: Proponents see ranked balloting as a fairer way to choose elected officials. It would also bring an end to the threat of vote-splitting, a fear that often prompts candidates to drop out, according to local activist Dave Meslin, who heads Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto (RaBIT). “It would be a more inclusive environment, which I think would boost diversity on the ballot,” he said. However, as a report from the city manager and clerk pointed out, ranked voting is a more complex and lengthy process. Some critics say it could confuse voters.

Q: What legislative changes are required to implement it?

A: As the staff report explains, the province would need to amend the Municipal Elections Act to “authorize the use and establish the framework” of ranked choice balloting for a municipal election — no simple task. “A careful and thorough legal review needs to be conducted as other pieces of legislation may also be affected by this amendment,” the report notes.

Q: How likely is it that the province will make these changes?

A: On Wednesday, Premier Kathleen Wynne said she was open to considering Toronto’s ideas for electoral reform. “We need to commend the city council for looking at options for engaging people in the democratic process,” she said. But Mitchell Kosny, associate director of Ryerson University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning, questions whether Queen’s Park will overhaul the electoral system for a one city — or tinker with legislation that could prompt other municipalities to request similar changes. “I’m not sure that the province is going to want to open the floodgates,” he said.

Q: What would be needed at the municipal level?

A: While the exact impact on the bottom line is not yet known, the city manager’s report predicts that bringing ranked ballots to Toronto would mean added costs, at least initially, to train elections staff and conduct the necessary public education campaigns. Different voting technology is also needed, but the city is due to get new voting equipment after the 2014 municipal elections, so it would be included in the request for proposals. Ballot production costs would also increase.

Q: How soon could ranked ballots be in place?

A: Because of the legislative amendments and public consultation needed to implement a new voting system, it’s too late for next election, but Meslin is hopeful it could be in place by 2018.

A: The right to vote in any municipal election, including choosing the mayor, city council and school board officials.

Q: Who would be affected?

A: Voting-age residents with permanent resident status, a federal designation granted to legal immigrants who have not yet become citizens. In Toronto, where more than half of the population is foreign-born, estimates suggest there are 250,000 permanent residents.

Q: What are the arguments for and against the idea?

A: Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who along with Mayor Rob Ford opposed the proposal, has argued that residents should have to commit to Toronto and Canada to vote. But according to Harald Bauder, an expert in immigration and settlement studies at Ryerson University, this view does not reflect modern migration patterns, or the fact that newcomers are often more politically engaged than their Canadian-born counterparts. “They are contributing members of our society, and those who contribute should also have a say,” he said.

Q: Have other jurisdictions given permanent residents the vote?

A: Permanent residents are not allowed to vote in any Canadian elections. But they can cast ballots in municipal elections in some other places, including Dublin and Oslo, and in Chicago school board elections.

Q: What legislative changes are needed to bring this policy to Toronto?

A: According to a report from the city manager and city clerk, the proposal would require an amendment to the Municipal Elections Act and a review of any legislation that mentions “voters” or “electors.” Other affected statutes include the City of Toronto Act and the Education Act.

Q: Would allowing permanent residents to vote in municipal elections also give them the right to run for office?

A: Council has not addressed the issue of candidacy. But as the staff report notes, under the current legislation, anyone who is allowed to vote can also hold office as a member of council or a school board. So if the province opts to extend voting rights to permanent residents but limit candidacy to citizens, further amendments would be needed.

Q: Would the legislative changes automatically extend voting rights to permanent residents in other municipalities?

A: The motion that won support from city hall does not explicitly limit the request to municipal elections in Toronto. Councillor Joe Mihevc said the wording is vague because there are a variety of ways the province could implement the change. “We’re asking them to think it through in the best way that meets their desires,” he said. “As long as we can have it in Toronto, we’re happy.” If it is limited to Toronto, some experts predict that the move would soon prompt similar requests from other municipalities.

Q: Could permanent residents be allowed to vote in the next municipal election?

A: No. As with ranked choice balloting, the extent of the public education campaign and legislative changes required mean the earliest the change could come into effect is 2018.

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